Central Council for Research in Siddha Medicine

Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.

Poshan Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) was launched by the Honorable Prime minister

and September is observed as Nutrition Month (Poshan Maah) with the aim of reaching every

household with the message of Nutrition.

CCRS initiated the steps for the dissemination of the message of National Nutrition Month

Poshan Maah. To create awareness and knowledge dissemination about Nutrition through

Siddha system of medicine among the children, pregnant women and lactating mothers Poshan

Abiyaan activities was carried out through CCRS and its peripheral institutes/Units. The

campaign was pushed with the message of nutrition - that says 'har ghar poshan tyohar', which

means every house celebrates nutrition.

CCRS - Siddha Central Research Institute, Chennai

A special science club was organized on 18th September, 2018 where Dr. G. Sivaraman, Chief

Siddha Physician & Managing Director, Arogya Health Care Pvt. Ltd, Chennai delivered a

lecture on overview of nutritional foods in Siddha system of medicine and challenges in

addressing nutrition disorders among school going children in rural areas.

Dr. Saraniya Mohan, Health and Nutrition specialist, Ministry of Women and Child delivered a

talk highlighting poshan abhiyaan’s action plans and its implementation.

On 26th September 2018, dissemination of POSHAN Abhiyaan was conducted at

Anganwadi Maiyyam, Arumbakkam, Chennai by Dr.T.Kavitha, RO (S) and Dr. A.Usha, RO (S) -

SCRI, CCRS. Awareness lecture were given to pregnant women, lactating mother and children.

Benefits of sathumavu urundai, peanut candy, thinai murukku, ragi biscuit, green gram urundai,

black sesame seeds candy was displayed and its benefits were explained and finally distributed to

the students.

Various queries from parents were answered and ill effects of fast foods, packed foods

and coloured foods were explained. Antenatal care foods were listed and explained their benefits

to pregnant women.Lactating mothers were benefited to through POSHAN Abhiyaan event.

On 27th September 2018, dissemination of the importance of traditional foods in nutrition and

ill effects of fast food at Padiyanallur Govt. School, Thiruvallore district.

Childrens were made aware and noted very happily the benefits of traditional foods.

Dissemination, display and distribution of sprouts of sundal, varagu murukku, uriddall urundai,

peanut candy, sesame seed candy, cutted fruits.

CCRS - Siddha Regional Research Institute, Puducherry

Poshan Abiyaan was conducted at Savarirayalu Nayakar Govt Girls High School,

Needarajappar Street, Puducherry and Manimegalai Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School, Lenin

street, Puducherry through CCRS – SRRI Puducherry on 24th and 25th of September 2018

respectively.

SavarirayaluNayakar Govt. Girls High School, Puducherry.

An awareness lecture was given by Dr. R. Rathinamala, Research Officer (S).The

objectives of Poshan Abhiyaan were explained to the students followed by the importance of

nutritional foods and their benefits. Next session was handled by Dr. A. Lavanya, Research

Officer (S). She gave a detail description of simple home remedies, single herbs for anaemia cure

and nutritionally rich traditional food items. After her speech, an interactive session was

conducted and the students actively participated in the session. The students were asking about

the quantity of food and how to avoid pesticide contaminated fruits and vegetables. Students

were advised to take care of quality of food instead of quantity and importance of kitchen garden

and its maintenance was also insisted. Many students showed more interest towards the

programme. A display of traditional food items was done and their benefits were also described.

The programme ended with concluding remarks by Mrs. Selvi, Headmistress, Savarirayalu

Nayakar Govt. Girls High School. Around 100 students and teachers participated in this

programme.

SavarirayaluNayakar Govt. Girls High School, Puducherry.

Manimegalai Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School, Lenin street, Puducherry

Mr. Muruganantham, Vice principal gave an introduction about Poshan Abhiyaan

programme. A speech was given by Dr. R. Rathinamala, Research Officer (S) regarding various

objectives of Poshan Abhiyaan and importance and benefits of nutritional food items. She also

recalled the traditional food recipes of South Indian cuisine. Followed by which, Dr. A. Lavanya

Research Officer (S) delivered a lecture about the various traditional food items displayed there

and briefed about their nutritive value. She also explained about simple home remedies for

anaemia. During the interactive session students actively participated and their doubts were

clarified. Finally the displayed traditional food items were distributed to the students. A live

video of the entire programme was posted in the AYUSH-Siddha Face book page. Around 60

students from class IX participated in the programme.

Manimegalai Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School, Puducherry.

CCRS - Siddha Regional Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram

Siddha Regional Research Institute (SRRI), Thiuvananthapuram initiated the steps for

the dissemination of the message of National Nutrition month to the nearby Schools in

Thiruvananthapuram. The programme was initiated in the Govt. Tamil Higher Secondary

School, Chalai, Thiruvananthapuram on 24th September 2018 and was followed in Govt. Higher

Secondary School, Karamana on 26th September 2018.

The Assistant Director Dr. A. Kanagarajan and the team members - Dr. S. Aparna, Dr.

G.S. Lekha, Dr. Rahul, Dr. B. Neethukannan and Smt. Manju from SRRI, explained he students

about the importance of nutrition and the information about National Nutrition month. The

purposes of the programme, necessity in creation of awareness to the public, in order to reduce

the level of anaemia, under nutrition, etc., in children and adolescent girls have been explained in

the Lectures.

The videos have been played to create awareness in the usage of junk foods, soft drinks,

etc. to the students. The hygienic principles and simple home remedies were also explained for

the benefit of School students. Moreover the videos on nutritional requirements, preparation of

Chatthumaavu, decoction, etc. have been displayed and explained to the students for the creation

of awareness in children and adolescents. The team interacted with the students and clarified

their doubts.

CCRS -Siddha Medicinal Plants Garden, Mettur Dam

Siddha Medicinal Plants Garden (CCRS), Mettur Dam observed the National Nutrition

Month (Rashtrya Poshan Maah) during September, 2018. Awareness on the key nutrition

strategies and interventions of the Poshan Maah was created among all staff of SMPG, contract

laborers, garden visitors, school and college students and also to the public. During the meeting,

the targets of Poshan (PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) Abhiyaan was

discussed such as to reduce under-nutrition, anemia (among young children, women and

adolescent girls) and low birth weight by 2-3% per annum. For the implementation of the

POSHAN Abhiyaan, Siddha Medicinal Plants Garden, Mettur Dam, has developed the nursery

blocks of following millets and cereals as a strengthening action for observing National Nutrition

Month:-

1. Kodo millet 2. Finger millet 3. Foxtail millet 4. Pearl millet 5. Sorghum

6. Mung daal 7. Chickpea 8. Cowpea 9. Horse gram (black) 10. Horse gram (native)

11. Green gram 12. Sesame 13. Flat beans 14. Toordaal 15. Paddy

Awareness creation on Poshan Abhiyaan at Government Arts College for Women, Salem

Awareness on POSHAN ABHIYAAN was presented by Dr. M. Padma Sorna

Subramanian, Research Officer (Botany), S-II, Siddha Medicinal Plants Garden (CCRS), Mettur

Dam to reduce the level of stunting, wasting, under-nutrition, anaemia and focused on

Nutritious food for Adolescent girls to holistically address malnutrition through Siddha System

of Medicine at Government Arts College for Women, Salem on 19th September, 2018. Besides,

Medicinal Plant tree saplings were also planted in the College Campus on behalf of Tree club.

Dr. P. Renganathan, Principal of the College presided the function. Prof. Dr. K. Vijayakumari,

Head, Dept. of Botany, arranged the programme. Around 250 girl students of Botany and

Zoology and the faculties of both disciplines participated in the programme and got

benefited.Live interactions with the girl students brought out their enthusiasm in bringing out

their traditional food, they used to prepare in their home like Kampangkoozh, Ulunthankanchi,

Ulunthangkazhi, Paruthipal, Ellurundai, Poriurundai, Kadalaiurundai etc. They said about the

wooden Anjarai petti. Most of the girl students told that their morning food is Kampangkoozh.

Planting of saplings at the Campus of Government Arts College for Women, Salem

Awareness creation on Poshan Abhiyaan to the students of Government Higher Secondary

School, Pudhusampalli, Mettur dam

Siddha Medicinal Plants Garden, Mettur dam, CCRS observed PoshanMaah by inculcating

awareness among the NSS students of Govt. Higher Secondary School, Pudhusampalli, Mettur dam

about Poshan Abhiyan. 20 students along with NSS officer visited the garden and the students were

taken around the garden and were taught about the Millets and Cereals being cultivated in the

garden and their nutritious value and its part in the traditional food. Live interactions with the

students enlightened their eagerness towards traditional food and medicinal plants cultivation at

their home.

Glimpses on Awareness creation about Poshan Maah to Govt. Higher Secondary School

Students at SMPG, Mettur Dam.

CCRS - Siddha Clinical Research Unit, Palayamkottai

Officers from Siddha Clinical Research Unit, Palayamkottai visited the Govt. School around

Tirunelveli to disseminate about Poshan Abihyaan to reduce stunting, wasting, under nutrition,

anemia among School Children.

On 20-09-2018 Dr. P. Elankani, Research Officer(S), S-II I/C visited the

OorachiOndriyathuvakkapalli, Karungulam. Mr. Sekar, Head master welcomed the gathering. Dr.

P.Elankani, explained to the students about the foods to be consumed and overcome malnutrition.

Research officer(S) also gave information to the students about the basic dietary practices for

children, and adolescents. Traditional food items were displayed to the students. Pamphlets were

also distributed to the children and teachers. Headmaster thanked the Director General, CCRS and

Ministry of AYUSH for creating awareness among the children.

On 22-09-2018 Dr. K.Sivaranjani, Research Officer(S), visited Mohaideen Masthan Middle School,

Seinthunganallurm, Tirunelveli. MrHathath, welcomed the gathering and introduced

Dr. K.Sivaranjani to the students. Dr. K.Sivaranjani, delivered lecture on how to fight malnutrition

with traditional food items. Traditional food items like groundnut mittai, Sesame mittai, kamarkattu,

spinach, Kamman kooz, kelvaragu kooz were displayed. Pamphlets on the importance of traditional

foods and foods rich in nutrients were distributed to the students. Mr.Joesph, delivered the vote of

thanks to Director General, CCRS and Ministry of AYUSH for creating awareness among the

children.

CCRS - Siddha Clinical Research Unit, New Delhi

Dr. R. Manickavasagam, Research Officer (Siddha), Incharge, Siddha Clinical Research Unit

(CCRS), New Delhi and Dr. B. Akila, Research Officer (Siddha) visited the nearby govt. School -

Delhi Tamil Education Association Sr. Sec. School (DTEA) at Pusa Road, New Delhi on 24.9.2018

and disseminated about Poshan Abhiyaan and created awareness about nutritional foods among the

school students in order to reduce the level of stunting, wasting, anaemia, undernutrition, etc in the

children as follows:

• Disseminated the importance of Traditional foods in Nutrition and ill effects of Fast foods,

coloured foods, packed foods, junk foods and soft drinks.

• Interacted with the School students and explained them about the Importance of the nutritious

value of traditional food

• Lecture and practical tips were given to the students in managing malnutrition by traditional

foods and nutritive refreshments

• Simple home remedies have also been explained for the benefit of school students. Children got

awareness and noted happily the benefit of traditional foods.

• Traditional sweets (Kadalaimittai, Ellumittai), millets, herbs, nutritional refreshments, herbs were

displayed and finally distributed to the students.

CCRS - Siddha Clinical Research Unit, Bengaluru

Lecture was given to the students and teachers in the topic

of Poshan Abhiyan scheme,Malnutrituion, anaemia, Practical tips were given to the students in

managing malnutrition by displaying traditional foods by Dr.M. Hariharan Mahadevan R.O(S) i/c,

and Dr.R.Thilagavathi R.O (S).